Impact of Land Use on Peat Soil Elemental Content and Carabidae and Plant Species Composition and Abundance

Abstract

This study, conducted in 2020–2022, was designed to determine the impact of livestock grazing on habitat biodiversity and Carabidae beetles. Two research plots (a meadow and a pasture) were established on a farm in the village of Otapy, located in the agricultural catchment area of the Nurzec River in Eastern Poland. They were located next to each other so that they would possess the same set of atmospheric phenomena and processes shaped by the physical and geographical characteristics of the area. The study showed that the pasture was the richest in terms of the magnesium and calcium contents, while the meadow had significantly higher levels of phosphorus and zinc. The study also showed some differences in the abundance and species composition of plants and animals. The meadow had higher biodiversity, while the pasture was dominated by grasses. A disparity in the abundance of individual species was also presented. The study indicated the preference of individual species for particular forms of land use. Anisodactylus binotatus, Harpalus rufipes and Poecilus cupreus were most abundant in the meadow, while Carabus granulatus and Pterostichus melanarius were mostly represented in the pasture. The number of species, on the other hand, was the same. Our research concluded that proper landscape management through different uses affects plant and beetle diversity and soil element content.